


The Big Surprise

by AdmantCrow



Series: The Time of Their Lives [2]
Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Birthday, Birthday Party, Bittersweet, Bromance, But not that much, Chiaki's Birthday, Content for me, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Happy Ending, Human Nanami Chiaki, Life after Hope's Peak, Living Together, Minor Tsumiki Mikan/Pekoyama Peko, Nanami Chiaki Lives, Romance, Sequel, Sex, and not very detailed, birthday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 02:26:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13988541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdmantCrow/pseuds/AdmantCrow
Summary: Nearly two years after leaving Hope's Peak, Hajime and Chiaki live together in Kyoto, as one studies at University whilst the other works as a game tester. On the day of Chiaki's birthday, Hajime organises their friends to come together, to give her a special memory that she will never, ever forget.





	1. The Planning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I wrote this to be published on Chiaki's birthday, but it came out longer then I thought, so I had to push it back a few days. It's technically a sequel to my previous story, The Time of Their Lives, but it can pretty much be read standalone.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Chiaki’s Big Party Chat TM (where Fuyuhiko will not rage at Mario Party this time)**

**6 members**

**2:30**

 

**Fuyuhiko** **  
** _ Peko and Mikan just got back to the house with the snacks _ _   
_ _ Mikan had pulled an all-nighter at the hospital, said she’s gonna have a nap. _ _   
_ __ We’ll get there on time, just giving you the heads up.

**Hajime** **  
** _ No problem guys, see you then _ _   
_ _   
_ **Mikan** **  
** _ Im sorry,,, just need a few hours i had a double shift _ _   
_ _   
_ **Ibuki** **  
** __ MIKANNN LET ME SOOTHE YOU WITH MY JAMS :^)

**Peko**

_ Firstly, Ibuki, you’re on a train right now, hundreds of kilometres from Kyoto. Second of all, Mikan needs her sleep, she practically passed out when I picked her up from work, I had to carry her to our room. _

**Mikan**

_ Im sorry,,, _ _   
_ _   
_ **Hajime** **  
** _ Don’t sweat it, Mikan. Sleep well, I’ll keep Chiaki occupied till 5’. _ _   
_ _   
_ **Fuyuhiko** **  
** __ ;)

 

Hajime looked up from the screen of his phone as the bus came to a stop in the centre of Kyoto. Clambering out of his seat, he stretched slightly as he stepped off the bus. He  _ really _ shouldn’t be skipping his last university class of the day, considering the exams that were coming up in a few months time, but he didn’t care; because today was his girlfriend’s birthday, and he couldn’t be the only one of the group to miss it.   
  
Considering how early Hajime had to get up to travel to classes in the morning, he’d only been able to mutter a ‘Happy Birthday’ to Chiaki as he climbed out of bed, getting only a mumbled ‘whosit’s birthday?’ from his perpetually sleeping girlfriend. Since it was Wednesday  _ and _ her birthday, he had the day off, so Hajime could surprise her with an early return from class. The two of them had lived for the past year and a half in Kyoto, in a small apartment in the middle of the great city. By some luck, whether of fate or just dumb, Chiaki’s preferred job offer, a member of the Q&A team at one of her favourite developers, and Hajime’s university campus had both landed them in Kyoto - and so they had decided to live together. And in Hajime’s opinion, this year and a half had been nothing short of magical. Every day, he got to wake up next to the love of his life, and every evening they could they’d sit down and play a game together, or in the (more frequent) cases when Hajime had too much studying to do, he’d watch as she grinded through a new game, or tested some upcoming release over and over and over again. And for Chiaki, who Hajime had felt he’d never seen her more then 50% awake? Living in Kyoto, doing her dream job, she had simply  _ evolved _ as a person. She had more energy (to expend on games), more passion (for games) and so much more motivation (for work and, of course, games). 

  
He missed everyone, though. But not as much as Chiaki did.   
  
Entering the lobby of their apartment building, Hajime grinned to himself as he waited for the elevator. Hearing her at night, every night, as she played, or as they lay in bed together, talk about the game she was testing, what bugs she had found, what she liked and disliked about it, gave him no end of constant joy. She really had found the perfect job for herself, the one she’d always dreamed of. For Hajime, he still had a long path before his goal of being a student councillor. Sometimes, it seemed too hard, or too far. Sometimes, it felt hopeless, with all the lectures and tests and everything. And every time he’d faltered, Chiaki had stopped whatever she was doing during her talks, no matter what, and told him exactly what he needed to know - of the person he’d grown into, the person that was loved by all of their friends, and above all - her. Truly, living with Chiaki in Kyoto had been the single greatest decision he had ever made.   
  
As he reached their floor, Hajime glanced at his phone as it buzzed, the chat switching on.   
  
**Ibuki** **  
** _ MIGHT BE A LIL’ LATE FAM, TRAIN HAS BROKE THOUGHT I COULD AVOID THIS BY NOT TAKING THE TRAIN WITH NAGITO >:^( _

**_Nagito_ **

_ Did you get the 1:30 pm train? _

**Ibuki**

_ NAGITO YOU ASS YOU BROKE DOWN THE TRAIN SOMEHOW _   
  
Trying to conceal his laughter as he walked down the hall, Hajime jostled around in his pocket for their apartment key. He had to unlock the door, since it didn’t surprise him at all that Chiaki hadn’t left their home since work yesterday. And there she was, wrapped in a thick blue blanket, dressed in some green shorts and a rather worn out Donkey Kong shirt, as her glassy eyes stared at the same game she’d been testing for the last five months. A rather bootleg looking Yoshi plush was leaning against her - an early birthday present, sent overseas from Sonia. Hajime and Chiaki had supposed they didn’t get official Nintendo merch there. She loved it all the same. She didn’t even look up as Hajime came into the main room; he wasn’t remotely offended, she just took her job as a game tester incredibly seriously.   
“How’s the bug report coming along?” Hajime asked Chiaki as he placed his bag on the kitchen counter. She didn’t look over at him - but the warm smile on her face spoke volumes.    
“I’ll have it ready by the deadline. Yuki wants it in by next Monday, but I told her I could have it done by Saturday… probably.” Finishing whatever task she was testing in game, she finally looked over at Hajime. “I ate the last of the eggs and cheese, so we should probably go shopping tonight.” The thoughts of her birthday surprise almost made Hajime burst out in a grin, but he couldn’t reveal it just yet. Holding his composure, he just shrugged.   
“I think we can hold off for tonight - I don’t have classes tomorrow, so I can grab whatever we need.”

‘What about tonight, though? We’re out of pretty much everything at this point.” Chiaki frowned.   
“How? You barely eat when I’m not around.” Hajime retorted, smirking. Chiaki just pouted in response, crossing her arms.   
“Even I’m allowed to pig out on my birthday!” Now she was smirking,cuddling up against Hajime as he joined her on the couch. Glancing up at the paused game on the screen, Hajime frowned.   
“Do you really need to be working on your day off  _ and _ birthday? You should relax, play a game or something.” He felt like putting his face in his hands as he realised the irony of what he said.   
“But I am-” Chiaki started to say before Hajime patted her on the head, giggling to himself.   
“I know, I know, I’m an idiot. But you should be relaxing - play something  _ not _ for work.”   
  
:”But…” Chiaki frowned, fidgeting with the PS4 controller in her hands. “If I slack off, I might miss a huge, game breaking bug and then they’ll ship it out, and then, and then it’ll get poor reviews, and the studio will go under because-” Hajime couldn’t help himself and ust cut her off from laughing too hard. “It’s not funny!” Chiaki pouted.    
“You’re take work too seriously. Hey, let me finish-”. Chiaki made some gremlin-like noises and started to shake him gently. “It’s so inspiring to see you get so pumped up at work, and I know you love your job, but you need to… dial it down, sometimes? Just play something you want, and just relax.” Finally, Chiaki stopped shaking him and settled down, leaning against his shoulder. “Hey.”   
“Mm?” Chiaki felt surprised as Hajime kissed her gently. “Oh,” Her hands slipped around his neck as she flipped her legs over his.   
“Happy Birthday.” Hajime murmured. “I love you.” Chiaki smiled sweetly, burying her face in his neck.   
“I love you too, Hajime. Really really.” They sat in silence for a few moments, before Hajime cleared his throat, slipping away from her slightly.   
“S-So.” He face reddened, finger dancing around her neck and upper chest. They were both, after nearly three years together, not any strangers to more intimate moments, but it was still an area where Hajime lacked a  _ lot _ of confidence, until they actually got into the heat of things. He’d wanted to give her a  _ special _ present for her birthday, but actually getting to the point. “A-About you relaxing… and having me home, on your birthday, we could…?” He raised an eyebrow suggestively, wondering how much of a fool he looked. Slowly, Chiaki’s face turned from one of confusion to utter understanding.   
“Oh.” Chiaki murmured. “Ooooh.” She grinned at him. “I think that’s a great idea, Hajime. There are some things I wanted to teach you.” Hajime eyes went spherical as he went bright red, his mind ran wild at wondering what Chiaki could teach him in that area.   
“S-S-Sure!” He squeaked, making Chiaki giggle.   
“Lucky I still have Nioh installed on the PS4, ‘Don’t have to dig through the cases to find it.” Hajime wondered if he literally made a noise as he deflated from her endearingly innocent interpretation of his suggestion. But he couldn’t turn her down, after all - it was her birthday. And they had after the surprise party, after all.

* * *

 

**Chiaki’s Big Party Chat TM (where Fuyuhiko will not rage at Mario Party this time)**

**6 members**

**4:45**

 

**Fuyuhiko**

_ Peko, Mikan and I are driving over now, should blast in right on five. _ _   
_ __   
**Ibuki**

_ NAGITO AND ME ARE COMIN BY FOOT, I AINT GETTING IN A CAB WITH HIS LUCK _

 

**Nagito**

_ I’m sorry, but even if we did, you’d be alone, as I am banned from most public transport across Japan. _ _   
_ _   
_ **Fuyuhiko** **  
** _ I don’t want to ask. _ _   
_ __   
**Ibuki**

_ NEITHER DOES IBUKI ;O _

 

Chiaki’s inability to focus on anything else when she was playing was a blessing in disguise when it came to planning her party. They’d spent the last two hours cuddling on the couch, Chiaki teaching Hajime the ins and outs of Nioh. Her enthusiasm was so corrupting, Hajime had to remind himself to keep checking the chat to keep track of the oncoming guests.   
“...I think statistically the Spear is the best weapon, but personally I’m partial to the Tonfas because they just feel like the most stylish, y’know?” Chiaki continued, a constant stream of information coming from her mouth. Hajime was about to reply, but then the stream began to flow again unabated. Which wasn’t really an issue, as Hajime had a new problem to consider. He’d asked everyone to dress relatively nice for the party, but it’d be pretty… odd if the five of them turned up with the woman of the evening in what were essentially her pajamas. But with the fact that the party was going to be a surprise, he couldn’t just ask her to change… probably. But with ten minutes to go, he had to think of something.   
  
“...I wish it was a little bit more balanced, but it’s one of the better games on the PS4 I’ve played in a long time, plus it’s the best looter game recently, so I can forgive most of the flaws.

“H-Hey, Chiaki do you want to go out for dinner?” Hajime said the first thing that came into his head. “I mean, it’s really nice outside, and we could go to that really nice restaurant we love?” Chiaki looked at him, tilting her head.   
“I thought you said last night we were going to stay and have a nice night at home?”   
_ Yes, but I’m an idiot who doesn’t think ahead!  _ Hajime thought to himself, trying his best not to appear distressed. “I know, but seeing the weather on the way back from class, and the lack of food in the fridge, soooooo….?” He raised his eyebrows, hoping for some reason that it’d help the situation. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he didn’t dare check it. Chiaki gave him a long, hard look, and then just sort of… flopped on to him.   
“I dunno, I was kind of… looking forward to just cuddling tonight, playing some games, just… being together? Start a co-op game we’ve both been looking forward to playing…” She half buried her face in his chest, hands on his shoulders.  _ Honestly, she makes a tough case. _ Then the idea flashed through his mind like a silver bullet.   
  
“Okay, you’re right. We can just have a nice night in. But… how about we do something nice? We wear some nice clothes, order some good food, have a, uh, romantic dinner?” Hajime couldn’t remember the last time they’d done _ anything _ like that - they spent waaaay too much money on cheap takeout food. Chiaki got out of his chest and gave him another, long look. “I can wear that suit you always like?” Hajime added, trying to sweeten the bait. Finally, Chiaki relented, the quizzical look disappearing, to be replaced by a warm smile and reddened cheeks.    
“That… does sound nice. I think. Especially… afterwards.” Hajime nodded, thanking whatever god had given him the devil’s luck, trying not to think of what she meant my afterwards.   
“I’ll order the food now, so do you want to get changed?” Chiaki made a pouty noise, obviously very comfy in the folds of her blanket, but she nodded and climbed off the couch.   
“I’ll get that nice dress Sonia bought me. So we’ll play a co-op game tonight?” Hajime nodded, hoping that what he had planned was even better. And with that, Chiaki retreated into their bedroom, her boyfriend giving a huge sigh of relief. Finally, he checked his phone, praying that Fuyuhiko hadn't lost his mind yet waiting in the hall.


	2. The Party

Well, at least he wasn't  _as_ angry as he expected Fuyuhiko to be.

**Fuyuhiko**

_ Hey asshole, all five of us have been out here for nearly 10 minutes, when’s the all clear? _ _   
_ _   
_ If there was one thing Hajme didn’t want to deal with, it was Fuyuhiko blowing a gasket in the apartment hallway. As sure as he could be that Chiaki wouldn’t (hopefully) walk out of their room half dressed for some dazed answer, Hajime opened the door to find five of his friends grinning at him.   
“RIght on time, guys.” He waved them in quickly, smiling as whispered. “Chiaki thinks she’s getting changed so we have a romantic night home, so let’s get into position.” Ibuki opened her mouth, most likely to shout some noise of excitement, before she was thoroughly disarmed by Peko and Fuyuhiko’s glare.   
“Don’t. Spoil. This.” Fuyuhiko glared, making Ibuki giggle quietly at his intense facade. “What did I just say?”   
“Ibuki, get near our room’s door, there.” Hajime pointed to where he was referring to. “Honestly, considering she hasn’t seen you since Hope’s Peak, she’ll be most excited.” Whilst Nagito also didn’t live in Kyoto unlike the others, the three of them had run into each other several times due to the ‘devil’s luck’.   
“Aye aye!” WIth everyone settled, Hajime, as cliche as it was, switched of the lights, draping the main room in near complete darkness, sans the twilight light filtering through the blinds. The six young adults stood almost motionless, waiting for the moment Chiaki would emerge from her room.   
  
“...Maybe we could just go somewhere small, then we can go to the arcade aft-” Chiak finally stepped out of their room, dressed in a sleeveless forest green dress, mumbling about changing Hajime’s fake plans. As she stepped into the room proper, the lights came on and everyone made their presence known. In retrospect, Hajime wished they’d decided on saying the same word of surprise, considering in the end they each said something different that it was just a mess of words that assaulted Chiaki, ranging from a “Surprise!” from Hajime to “Happy Emergence Day!” from Ibuki. For a good five seconds, Chiaki just stood there, staring at the six of the excited faces beaming at her.   
“Ohhh…” She opened her mouth to sigh. “Right, I got so focused on Nioh and convincing Hajime to take me to the arcade, I forgot it was my birthday again.” And that was enough to make the whole room absolutely roar with laughter.    
“CHI-AKI~!!” Ibuki leapt towards Chiaki and wrapped her in the iron grip she claimed to be a hug. “I MISSED YOUR DUMB HEAD”. Chiaki reciprocated, wrapping her arms around Ibuki as well.   
“I’ve kept up with your music since school.” Her eyes lit up as an idea formed in her brain. “I should hook you up with my game studio! You could do an OST!” Ibuki’s eyes  _ also _ lit up, making Hajime realised a dangerous threat to Chiaki’s game devs was forming between the two girls.   
“A-Anyway, did you bring the food, Peko?” Peko smiled and nodded, slipping off the backpack she’d been wearing when she came in.    
“Nothing amazing, but enough for the six of us.”   
“I attempted to bake a cake, but…” Nagito smiled self-hatingly, holding his hand out as if to curse himself. “The culinary skills of one such as me are… not quite up to par.”   
“Don’t start with that shit right away, man…” Fuyuhiko shook his head, taking the liberty of flopping on the three-person couch around the table. “Y’all need a proper dinner table.” He added.   
“And where the hell are we going to put it?” Hajime frowned,sitting next to his pint-sized friend. “We just eat on the couch, because we’ve barely got enough room for that, the table, and the TV.”   
“B-But, eating in f-front of the TV could make b-bad habits.” Mikan pulled up a chair next to Peko, who’d done the same, slipping her hand into hers.    
“I mean…” Chiaki wondered, smiling from to ear as she looked at all her friends. “On a mountain of bad habits, I don’t think one more is so bad.” Mikan looked like she was going to cry from worry.   
“Chiaki… I don’t ever want to see you at my hospital…”    
“How was work today, by the way?” Nagito asked Mikan.   
“N-Not too bad… No big accidents last night, but I’ve got a b-big shift tomorrow. Being a doctor is such a s-strain.”    
Nagito seemed to be contemplating something, the gears ticking inside his head.    
“Mikan… in a few months, I may need to contact you about something.” At her horrified glance, he waved his hands to console her. “No, no,it’s nothing bad. Just some… hypotheticals.” Mikan slowly nodded, but even as she did, she yawned gently, turning red. “I-I’m sorry, I’ve only slept a few hours s-since work. O-Of course, Nagito, contact me whenever you need me.” Peko patted her hand, smiling.   
“Do not worry. We won’t stay too late, and I’ll drive you in tomorrow.” Mikan nodded and lent against her girlfriend, giggling to herself. “On that note, how is your, erm.” Peko furrowed her eyebrows, trying to remember. “Your job is… game tester, right, Chiaki?” Chiaki’s eyes lit up upon finding a new opportunity to talk about work.   
“Yes!! We’re doing the testing phase on the new RPG the team has been working on, so I’ve got to write up a report on all the bugs I’ve found.”   
“RPG…? Bugs?” Peko knew  _ nothing _ about video games, so pretty much everything coming out of Chiaki’s mouth was unintelligible to her. Which was hilarious to nearly everyone else.   
“I gotta get the report done by Sunday, which is fine since I can just play it again, and again, and again, and again and-”   
“M-Maybe we should put out the food. Peko, could you help?” Hajime came to the grey-haired swordswoman rescue,  _ thank you _ very clear in her eyes. Chiaki was still muttering away, Mikan and Ibuki very interested in her description of the game.   
“Are you even allowed to talk about it?” Nagito asked Chiaki. Chiaki stopped talking for a second, and frowned.   
“If any of you leak this, I’ll take my years of Street Fighter and go Chun Li on y’all.” The very aggressive and uncharacteristic way Chiaki said it made everyone stop, and stare at her, before she started to laugh.   
“I trust all of you, really. Just don’t tell, and it’ll be fine.”   
  
As Hajime and Peko set out the party food, the six of them descended into small talk, going over what had happened since they’d all seen each other. After Hope’s Peak, Fuyuhiko and Peko’s work in the Yakuza had taken them to being based in Kyoto - as a result, Hajime and Fuyuhiko hung out at least a couple of times a week, going to the arcade and seeing movies that Fuyuhiko swore if Hajime ever revealed the genre of to people, he’d take a dirt nap. In their last year at Hope’s Peak, Peko and Mikan had started a private relationship, the fact of which only went around their friend circle after graduation. So, Mikan had gone with the two yakuza to Kyoto, getting a job at the biggest hospital, living with the two of them in the meantime.    
Ibuki’s music career had taken off, finding a small but  _ very  _ dedicated group of fans. She’d just returned from a trip overseas, touring in Germany. And Nagito…?   
“Oh, you wouldn’t care what I’ve been doing…” Nagito shook his head, shoving some potato chips in his mouth. Chiaki pouted at him, which made Peko glare at him.   
“Don’t be a goomba, Nagito.” Chiaki told him, making Hajime snort.    
  
“Well, I don’t know what there is to tell. I went to Australia for a few months, to sightsee. I lost my passport, but I manage to work it out when I found a young man’s wallet, who also happened to be Japanese. He thanked me so much that he gave me twice the amount that was in it, along with, uh, something else.” Nagito took a sip of his drink. “Then, someone’s luggage burst into flames on my plane.” The other six young adults looked at him with a mix of horror and fascination. “But, much of the flames were compressed by my huge luggage, so it constrained long enough for us to land. I’ve gone from job to job since then, but I keep getting fired… But the short time I am there, I get paid a ton, so it balanced out.”   
“...” The rest of the party just stared at him, making Nagito laugh.   
“I’m glad my mundane stories entertained you all so~.” He said in a sing-song voice, making Hajime shudder.   
“How long did you all plan this?” Chiaki asked, finishing the food she was eating. “I was just expecting another quiet dinner with Hajime, maybe with Peko and Fuyuhiko, like last year.”   
“We’ve been planning this for months.” Fuyuhiko yawned, stretching out. “Trying to work out who could come, from everyone.” Mikan frowned, sniffing slightly.   
“I wish more could’ve come, but we’re all so busy…” Chiaki nodded, a little sadly.   
“Akane and Nidai are both overseas, training for their respective careers.” Peko counted off her fingers. “Gundham and Sonia are in her home country, together. Hiyoko and Mahiru had booked a trip to Kyushu, Souda is in the middle of crunch time for whatever secret job he’s at, and Teruteru couldn’t get away from work in Tokyo.” A much more somber mood had settled over the birthday dinner, so Hajime decided it was time for the ‘special’ gift.    
  
“Mikan, you brought it, right?” Hajime asked, making the meek girl jump up and nod.   
“Y-Yes!” She stumbled over to Peko’s backpack, searching around in one of the compartments. She withdrew a rather thick looking envelope, holding it in her hands as she took her seat again.   
“I know everyone couldn’t be here today, despite our efforts.” Hajime murmured, wrapping an arm around Chiaki, the young game tester leaning into him. “But that doesn’t mean everyone forgot, obviously. So…”   
“We talked to  _ everyone _ the last couple of months, trying to get them here. We weren’t able to, but we got something real nice as well.” Fuyuhiko grinned.   
“I took my best for it!!” Ibuki shrieked.    
“I-I’m sure their thinking of you, r-right now.” Mikan beamed, holding out the envelope. Chiaki reached out, and took it from her, staring at the envelope.   
  
**_To Chiaki_ **

From the 77th Class of Hope’s Peak Academy

 

Chiaki’s eyes opened wide and she tore open the envelope, finding a stack of postcards and photographs all addressed to her.   
“What… did you all do?” Chiaki stared at Hajime, a few tears welling in the corner of her eyes. Hajime held her tightly, grinning.   
“Go on.”   
With the others urging, Chiaki looked at each of the photographs, warmth spreading from her heart. A photo of a grinning Akane, posing with what seems to be the Japanese Gymnastics Olympics team who had equal enthusiasm. Nekomaru seemingly screaming ‘Happy Birthday’ holding a dozen balloons. A selfie of Mahiru and Hiyoko, both wrapped up in warm coats, the snow falling around them. Teruteru, standing before three cakes baked in the shape of Kirby, Samus and Donkey Kong. Souda, covered nearly head-to-toe in oil, baring his sharp teeth in a grin. And finally, Sonia in a full regal dress, alongside Gundham who was  _ actually _ wearing a similar royal raiment, the Four Dark Deva’s spread on the royal couple’s shoulders. Ibuki had added one of her in Germany, rocking out on stage with the crowd behind her. Nagito stood before the Harbour Bridge in Sydney, his arms spread wide - a seagull striking him in the head. Fuyuhiko, Peko and Mikan all stood together in one of the last, Peko’s arm wrapped around her girlfriend.  The last one, without a postcard, was a little photo of Hajime, his arms wrapped around Chiaki, from the very last day of classes at Hope’s Peak. Each of the photos were accompanied by a postcard, with a little message from each of her former classmates. All of them promised that they’d all get together again, one day. One day.   
  
Chiaki finally put the photos and postcards back in the envelope neatly, placing them back on the table, before facing the other six guests. A few, very happy, tears were dripping down her face,her smile lighting up the room for all of them.    
“Thank you.” She sniffed, gripping Hajime’s hand. “I missed all of them… so much.” She wiped her eyes with her other arm, beaming once more. “...This is the best level-up bonus I’ve ever gotten.” Fuyuhiko snorted loudly.   
“You’re such a dork, Chiaki.” Peko gave him a light slap on the head, giggling a little to herself despite that.   
“I’m glad you like them so much - getting all of the photos and postcards in the mail was a nightmare. I’m pretty sure Sonia had to send hers twice.” Hajime noted, putting the envelope up on the bookcase for safekeeping.   
“I lost my camera when I was in Central Australia, so I had to take one at Sydney instead.” Nagito chuckled, stretching his fingers.   
“Yeah, Ibuki wanted to see you getting punched by that kangaroo!”    
“Life DOES imitate art, apparently.” And then everyone was laughing again, lamenting the loss of such a treasured photograph.   
“A-As another thing…” Mikan went for Peko’s huge backpack again, slipping her hands inside it. H-He could only send one, but T-Teruteru had his present sent to us today…” And from the bag emerged one of those amazing cakes that featured in Teruteru’s photo. A rather large cake baked in the shape of one of Chiaki’s favourite characters, Kirby. Chiaki’s eyes lit up like a fireplace, her mouth slowly hanging open.   
“I...am one with Kirby right now.” Chiaki murmured, making Hajime and Fuyuhiko exchange bemused glances.   
“You can’t get cake powers eating this, Chiaki.” Hajime said, patting her head, as the cake was placed before her. She looked almost disappointed. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Happy Birthday, Chiaki.” She smiled that little smile that melted his heart, as she turned back to her assembled friends.   
  
“ _ Happy Birthday!!” _

* * *

 

“...You sure you two don’t want to spend the night? We took the car and everything.” Peko asked, arms crossed, as Ibuki and Nagito joined them at the door. It was nearing 11, and the party had finally winded down.   
“Nah, Ibuki needs to get back to Tokyo by tomorrow, we’ve got a gig tomorrow night and I gotta prrrraaaactice~”. Nagito nodded in agreement.    
“I’ve got something on tomorrow as well, back home, so I should depart tonight.”   
“Get the train after me, Nagito. I don’t want the train being sucked to a different dimension or some crazy stuff.” Ibuki narrowed her eyes, which just made the pale-haired man laugh.   
“Thanks for coming… really.” Chiaki beamed at the two of them.    
After they’d had the cake,Chiaki had put on some Mario Party, which she, Fuyuhiko and Ibuki all participated in. Hajime, Peko, Mikan, Nagito watched on, chatting as they did so.    
In regards to presents, Peko and Mikan had got Chiaki some exercise equipment, worrying about her physical state, asking Hajime to help her out, to make sure she was healthy. She’d complained, of course, but it was clear Chiaki was grateful. Fuyuhiko had given her a stack of cash, having no idea what to get her - Ibuki had bought her a green, Luigi-themed necklace that looked more than a little counterfeit, that she’d found in Germany. Chiaki loved it regardless. Finally, Nagito had pulled a weird looking bit of paper out of his bag, grinning as he gave it to her.   
“What is it?” Hajime asked, leaning over the table to look. It was a ticket for some gaming convention that he knew Chiaki always attended in Tokyo. But the look on her face wa something so much...more. Her eyes were wide, as if she’d summoned gold in her hands.   
“W-W-Where did you get this?” Chiaki asked Nagito, who just laughed.   
“Oh? That man I helped, in Australia? He’s the son of one of the guys who runs that convention, said he’d send me a VIP pass as a thanks when he got home. Someone like me isn’t really a fan of stuff like that, so I think it’ll be best served to you.” Nagito genuinely smiled, which always gave off an impression of being adorable and a little disturbing at the same time.   
“It’s a double pass, we can go together, Hajime!” He grinned at her joy, happy that  _ she _ was so happy, but also glad that they could save a little money by avoiding buying the tickets. They weren’t poor, or anything, but every little bit helped. “Oooooh, there’s so much more we can see with these tickets! Thank you, thank you, Nagito!” She beamed at him, making the cursed lucky man blush from embarrassment.   
“I don’t deserve such praise, please…”   
  
“Don’t be a stranger, guys.” Hajime waved as Ibuki and Nagito said their goodbyes. “We’re always here, so visit whenever you’re in town.”   
“You gotta come over and play games again soon, Ibuki!” Chiaki said excitedly.    
“How can I resist that smile!?” Ibuki squealed. “We should have a gig up here soon, so I’ll drop by then, cuties!” Ibuki gave a last wave and skipped out the door. Nagito gave a hearty wave as he turned to go as well.   
“Hopefully we can catch up soon.” For that brief moment, Nagito looked almost sad, as if he was taking his last look at all of them. “You’ve lit up my life, all of you. Mikan, I shall contact you in a few weeks.” Mikan nodded.    
“See you real soon, then.” Hajime grinned, and it seemed even that sentence was enough to light up his hope once more.    
“Mhm. Happy Birthday, again, Chiaki.” He grinned, and then he was gone.   
  
Mikan gave out a big yawn again, turning pink as she did so. Peko giggled a little, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Even on the spot, Mikan lent against her and almost fell asleep, snapping out of it with a squeak.    
“I-I’m SORRY!” She said, before realising she was still in the apartment. “Ooooh.” Fuyuhiko shook his head, chuckling.   
“All right, Hajime, my man. We better roll - Mikan has an early start, and Peko’s gotta drive us. Thanks for setting up tonight, man.” Hajime and Fuyuhiko clasped hands, the best friends grinning at each other.   
“We’ll get lunch on Friday, right?” Hajime asked, the shorter man nodding.    
“It’s almost as if they’re dating, and you’re not his girlfriend, Chiaki.” Peko mused, making the game tester giggle sleepily.   
“I’m used to it.” Was all she said.   
“Happy Birthday, my dear.” Peko lent down and gave Chiaki a polite peck on the cheek. “Tell me your schedule, and us and Mikan can get lunch as well.” Mikan nodded in agreement, her legs unsteady.   
“I’d love that, really.” Chiaki beamed, rubbing Mikan’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming, Mikan, even if you were so tired.”   
“As long as you don’t end up at the hospital, I’m happy.” Mikan said half deliriously. Chiaki and Hajime couldn’t help but chuckle at her drowsy state.   
“Okay, we really better go.” Fuyuhiko decided. “See ya ‘round, assholes.” His harsh words never did match his rosy smile.   
“See you too, asshole.” Hajime replied, as he always did. Peko and a practically snoozing MIkan waved goodbye and the last guests of the night left. As the door closed for the final time, Chiaki leaned against Hajime, their hands interlocking as she did so.   
  
“Thank you, so much. Really.” She murmured, leaning up slightly to kiss him.    
“Mhm.” Hajime kissed back, gripping her hand tightly. “It was nothing, really.”   
“Don’t be silly.” She whispered, kissing him again. “You all worked so hard for me. I’m really, really lucky.” She gave a great big yawn, trying to stretch.   
“You gonna be alright for work tomorrow?” Hajime asked.   
“Yesh.” She slurred, yawning again. “It’s just general testing tomorrow, so I don’t have too much to do, besides the report.” Hajime nodded, glad she wouldn’t be overexerting herself after a long night.   
“Hey, do you want me to pick up from work? Somewhere I gotta take you.” Hajime asked, fingers dancing on hers. Chiaki tilted her head, asking what her was referring to. “Well, I haven’t gotten you a present yet, have you?” Chiaki went a little red and looked at her feet.   
“Well, you organised all this didn’t you? I thought that was the present… I couldn’t think of asking for more.” Hajime just grinned at her, sending a thrill down her spine.   
“Don’t be silly - it’s your birthday, you’d do the same for me.”  _ And she had. Multiple times. _ “So, I thought I'd take you down to the game store, and you’d grab whatever you want, a couple of games or whatever.” Her eyes  _ instantly _ lit up, like a cat in darkness.   
“Ooooooh, there was that new RPG I’d been looking at getting, and I was thinking of grabbing some new faceplates for my 3DS, oh and-” She stopped, red-faced, as she noticed Hajime giggling at her like a teenager. “What?”   
“A few seconds ago you couldn’t think of me getting you a present, but the  _ second _ I mention a video game, you’re a whole different person.” Chiaki started pouting at him, which just made him laugh harder.   
  
“You’re a jerk, you know that.” She teased, kissing him again. “Studying to make you a councillor has made it too easy for you to get in my head… probably.”   
“Chiaki.” Hajime looked at her, trying not to smirk. “I’ve  _ always _ been able to get into your head.” Now he could smirk, thinking he had won that round.   
“Then how come you didn’t realise how much I loved you, back then?” Her arms slipped around his neck, and she kissed him firmly, holding him tightly against her. The ferocity of the kiss surprise Hajime, and out of instinct moved to step back, but he found himself drawn in. After a wonderful eternity, he lent away, panting slightly, his face scarlet, as the clock struck 12.   
“I...um, I think we should sleep… since you have work at 9…” He trailed off as Chiaki ran a finger on his cheek, a very different look on her face emerging after the kiss, her other hand playing with the strap of her dress.   
“I don’t need much sleep… you’ve given me so much tonight, the best present anyone could give someone like me, but…” She pouted at herself, trying to pump herself up. “Can I be selfish?” Hajime just nodded, completely enraptured. “...Carry me to the bed.” She whispered. Hajime slipped his arms around her middle, her legs slipping around his torso as he carried her, the two lovers kissing all the while.   


* * *

  
They lay in bed, awake, yet not talking for a long time after their encounter. Chiaki lay across her love’s broad chest, his arms wrapped her collar. Cuddled up in blankets, their bare bodies pressed against one another, Chiaki couldn’t believe how  _ warm _ she felt. How warm she’d felt during their lovemaking. She felt she  _ had _ been selfish during the session; she’d done every single thing she’d ever wanted to do when they made love, but was too nervous or unconfident to do. The frustration had been clear on Hajime’s face - she hadn’t let him - or herself - finish until she’d done everything she’d wanted, but it was clear on Hajime’s face that those frustrations of denial had been worth it in the end.   
“W-Was I… better this time?” Hajime murmured. Chiaki looked up, cupping his cheek.    
“What do you mean? I… always think you’re good.” Hajime frowned. “Hey.” She whispered. “You heard the…” She flushed red. “...noises I made. I thought that would tell you everything.” He smiled a little, but he still seemed unconvinced. His confidence had grown so much in the years since they had met - but they both had things to improve on.   
“I’m glad.” He murmured, his anxieties vanishing for the moment. “A pretty, uh,  _ spicy _ way to end a birthday, huh?” Hajime tried to smile despite his awkwardness. Chiaki just giggled at him, stroking his chest. “What?”   
“I love you, Hajime. There really is no one like you, y’know?” Hajime blushed and looked up at the ceiling. “No, don’t do that, silly.” She grabbed his cheeks and made him look at her.   
“Chiaki, what are you doing?” He said, somewhat muffled by her hands on his cheeks.    
“Having fun.” She just poked and prodded at his cheeks, Hajime trying to hold back his laughter.    
“I think that’s all the evidence I need to say there isn’t anyone like you, either, Chiaki.” She stopped playing with his cheeks, her hands sliding down to his chest as their hearts beat madly.   
  
“Happy Birthday, Chiaki. Thanks for putting up with me for the last few years.” He lent up and kissed her, smiling all the while. “I love you, so much.” She buried her face in his chest, hugging him as tightly as she could.   
“Iloveyoutoo” She said, muffled by his broad chest. Looking up, her chin resting on his chest, she beamed a smile at him. “This really is one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had.Living here with you, seeing my friends, having my dream job…” She held him even tighter, amazing as that was. “I’m so lucky.” Then a look came over her face. “Ooooooh.”    
“What?” Hajime knew a weird idea formed in her head, and that either ended hilariously or badly. Or sometimes both. “Chiaki, what are you thinking?”   
“You’re going to have to top this, somehow, next year, Hajime.” A rather cheeky look had spread over her face, making Hajime’s heart quiver with mixed emotions. He had to think of a retort, quick.   
“W-Well, in that case, you’re gonna have to top this for  _ my _ birthday, first!” Chiaki opened her mouth to reply, then closed it.    
“You’re right!” Hajime was taken aback by how easy it was to win  _ that _ discussion. “I gotta talk to Peko…” _ Now _ he was worried.   
“What are you planning with Peko?” There was that cheeky grin again, but she just shook her head.   
“Can’t tell. That’ll ruin the game. You’ll find out New Years.” She flicked his noise, as if to prove her point.   
“Damn it, I can’t wait nine months!” He replied, half-serious. “Can you give me a hint.” Chiaki drummed her fingers on his chest, making him squirm under her.   
  
“No~.” She said, drawing out the word. “B-But, um…” Her hand slid around him, tugging from him to roll over. “I-In the meantime…” She began, red-faced.   
“Chiaki?” He began to turn over, as she was implying she wanted him to face her.    
“N-No, like…” She tugged harder, and Hajime lost his balance on his side, rolling so he was now on top of Chiaki.    
“I’m sorry! Are you okay?” He said, pushing his torso so up so it wasn’t crushing her. “Why did you-” He was cut off as her arms latched onto his back, her lips locking with his. Pulling him back down so their chests were pressed together, she wrapped her legs around his toned behind, so that the same would happen to their groins.   
_ “This’ll keep him occupied until New Years.”  _ Chiaki thought, as pleasure began to overwhelm her anew.  _ “And it doesn’t hurt that I think…” _ She closed her eyes as Hajime finally took hold of her - and the situation. _“I think we’ve gotten good at the next best thing to gaming.”_ And then her mind went blank, her sphere of awareness being replaced by ecstasy, and the love for her most precious person in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed your read of my story, and thank you for any and all Kudos!


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